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This is usually the time of year when the cravings for “outdoors” start to boil over for me. The supercross series is dwindling down, the clear favorites have established themselves as would be/could be/should be champions, and every day we are seeing more pictures and videos of guys starting to test and find comfort for their fast-approaching motocross series’.
Between our guys and the supercross guys, it won’t be long until 30 + 2’s are the only thing on the menu. But I’ll let you in on a little secret – MXGPTV.com. If you didn’t purchase the video pass on MXGPTV.com last year when we all went to Italy for Motocross Of Nations and forgot to bring Dylan Wright home with us, do yourself a favor and just get it. Those guys are a sneaky delightful treat to watch.
Deep down, I truly wish Dylan could/would have secured a solid job with a team that competes in the MXGP series because I believe, without question, the guy has what it takes. That is not a knock on anything Canadian, and is absolutely not anti-anything, as a fan I would just love to see it. As a person with the experience that I have, I see things in the kid that can take him further than any Canadian has gone in this sport, and with the help of a team competing at the highest level, he could very well achieve that. I know Derek Schuster (owner and manager of the GDR Honda team that Dylan currently rides for) has a great relationship with HRC (Honda Racing Corporation), and purely speculation here, but maybe we could see Dylan get another job promotion to be under a different red tent in the future. We already saw this happen after MXoN, and with the results, Dylan put on the board in the last 5 MXGP’s he competed in last year; you’d want to believe that someone with decision-making responsibilities is watching and paying attention to our homegrown Dee Dub.
The MXGP series is unique because they travel all over the entire globe. This past weekend the series finally returned to South America for the MXGP Of Patagonia – Argentina after a couple of years hiatus due to you know what. Like many of the stops on the GP circuit, the scenery in Argentina is absolutely breathtaking. The track looked awesome! Very fast, with sandy-loose, volcanic-based type soil that developed into square chop that demanded 100% focus. These riders, that we often overlook are among, if not the best to do it. The caliber coming out of the GP Series has always been good, but within the last decade, I would say the top guys are on par with North America’s elite. MXGPTV.com will more than fill your cup of that outdoor motocross craving. Search for a video of Tom Vialle doing a nifty little combo over a triple-single he turned into a double-double section on the Argentine circuit. That’s the type of stuff I love. You may also find some of his spectacular get-offs as of late.
Perhaps you were able to get a little fill of that outdoor feeling from that track in Indianapolis this past weekend. WOW – is all I have to say. There is no way to truly understand how or what those guys had to deal with during the main events in Indy. Just another chapter in the ‘these guys are insanely skilled’ book of dirt bike racing. The respect and appreciation level for anyone who circulated that track is through the roof, and a couple of guys we have to tilt our hats to are Guillaume St. Cyr and our hometown kid, Tanner Ward. They’ve been racing most of the Eastern portion of the Supercross series stacking the experience cards all year and learning from the best. I’m not sure of St Cyr’s summer plans but Tanner has already added 200 cc’s and his outdoor program has commenced. I am excited to see what he can do in the premier class in Canada this summer.
We have a few more weeks of supercross racing to see if the season concludes the way it looks like right now. Christian Craig and the 250 West boys return to Seattle this weekend as he looks to expand his 28-point lead. At this point for me, the real excitement is going to happen when we get to Atlanta in a few weeks where the East and West 250 groups square off against each other. However, if it comes to a head-to-head battle between Craig and Lawrence, I have a feeling we might see a bit of a reserved tactic to stay out of trouble and protect the big picture. Things could get interesting for these two down the stretch here with not one, but two East/West shootouts remaining in the series and more than enough fast guys to rain on their respective parades. I guess the Supercross marketing and planning committee did their jobs by adding the shootouts late in the series because it’s keeping me interested!
What else can be said for Eli Tomac? I’m out of words trying to pump this guy’s tires… what he is doing right now is so damn incredible. With this field, although depleted, he is still having to battle and work hard for the W’s. Proving every weekend he is simply the best. The way Eli is riding right now, coupled with the proven Yamaha platform for motocross, I think the boys are in for a long summer chasing the number 3.
A few days of great weather here at home had everyone frothing to ride and with Gopher Dunes opening up last weekend, it’s a very welcoming sign that things are starting to happen around here. I hope everyone made it through their days safely and enjoyed themselves. It’s currently three degrees and raining outside here in Southern Ontario. But, we’ve got our Canadian boys down south wearing out parts and burning gas, SX is slowly turning into MX, and the incredibly talented MXGP guys are in full swing for their series. My “outdoor” pot is boiling. I’m ready for long hot summer days. 40 guys heading into turn 1 and long motos. Sweat, dirt, and pure grit watching these savage beings go into the red zone and once again putting their exceptional athleticism on display. It’s just a matter of time until we’re all enjoying our own versions of motocross and the great outdoors.
